The Washington Capitals have agreed to trade veteran defenceman Brenden Dillon to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a pair of second-round draft picks. The Capitals will get the Jets second-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts in exchange for the 30-year-old defender.
The 2nd round picks are confirmed to be in 2022 and 2023. Brenden Dillon is a guy the Jets had shown previous interest in before he was dealt by #SJSharks to #Caps Dillon has three more years left on a deal that carries a $3.9 million AAV so there is some cost certainty for #Jets
— Ken Wiebe (@WiebesWorld) July 27, 2021
Washington Capitals Trade Brenden Dillon to the Winnipeg Jets
In Dillon, the Jets get a reliable defender who can play physical and add a few points along the way. The six-foot-four defenceman adds size and reliability to the Jets top four defence group. In San Jose, Dillon was paired with current Jets defenceman Dylan DeMelo. This should help ease him into the Winnipeg lineup.
This season, he scored two goals and 17 assists for 19 points, adding 49 minutes in penalties and playing in all 56 games. His possession numbers are 46.9 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -5.0. Those totals are up compared to the 2019-20, where he scored on goal and 13 assists for 14 points in 69 games split between the Capitals and the San Jose Sharks. Over his 11-year NHL career Dillon has played for the Capitals, Sharks and Dallas Stars. In that time, he has 24 goals and 109 assists for 133 career points in 654 career NHL games. Dillon has also added one goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 74 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Dillon has three years remaining on his contract, with an AAV or Cap Hit of $3.9 million per season.
What This Means for the Capitals
The Capitals add draft picks and clear much needed cap space with the move. The Capitals need to re-sign franchise icon Alex Ovechkin. They also need to re-sign RFA starting goalie Ilya Samsonov. With the flat cap and an expensive lineup, the Capitals need every dollar they can get under the salary cap.
Main Photo: WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 20: Brenden Dillon #4 of the Washington Capitals in action against the Montreal Canadiens during the third period at Capital One Arena on February 20, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
